Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarships

Now accepting applications for the 2024-25 school year

Scholarship applications for the 2025-26 school year

Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship. The 2024 Utah State Legislature passed a bill merging the Special Needs Opportunity Scholarship program with the Carson Smith Scholarship program. Children First Education Fund administers the new combined program. This legislation allows students who were enrolled in a private school and who were awarded the legacy Carson Smith scholarship to stay in that program if they choose. All the terms and conditions of the program will remain the same, and the program will continue to be administered by USBE. The legacy Carson Smith program is not allowed to enroll new students.

Transferring from Legacy Carson Smith to the Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship (CSOS). Legacy Carson Smith students may transfer to the new Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship (CSOS) program, and will be automatically approved for the 2025-26 school year as long as they continue to meet eligibility standards. Legacy Carson Smith students are required to complete the CFEF application by the deadlines listed below. 2025-26 legacy Carson Smith scholarship application review will begin June 15. Scholarships will be prorated based on the quarter in which the transfer occurs.

Quarterly Transfer Deadlines:

Quarter 1: Application due by August 15
Quarter 2: Application due by October 15
Quarter 3: Application due by January 15

Important Notes:

No new transfer applications will be accepted after January 15, as a new application for the upcoming school year will be released.
Quarter 4 transfers are limited to existing current-year applicants who could not be awarded in earlier quarters.
Once a CSOS application is awarded, parents must submit a withdrawal request to Legacy Carson Smith by the last day of that quarter’s deadline month.

CFEF requires an application to create a student account. Students with a current determination of eligibility are automatically approved and scholarship awards will be based on household size and income or the service minutes in a student’s determination (if applicable).

Legacy Carson Smith families can begin the CSOS application by clicking the button below.

Former Special Needs Opportunity Scholarship Students. Students who have previously received a scholarship from Children First Education Fund will continue to be funded in the 2025-26 school year, but these students are required to update their eligibility information. They can do so by going into the parent portal and updating their financial information and disability verification information if necessary. This will help CFEF determine the scholarship award amount for next year. The portal is now available to do this.

New Applicants. Applications for the 2025-26 school year opened on February 3, 2025. Scholarships will be awarded based upon when applications are approved by CFEF. In the 2025 legislative session, additional funds were appropriated to this program, so apply as soon as possible.

Children First Education Fund Availability

Recent legislation now allows CFEF to receive funding from two different sources. We will continue to receive funds from donations from individuals and businesses. All donations are eligible for a 100% Utah State income tax credit. Anyone who pays Utah state income taxes is able to donate and receive the tax credit. Please consider redirecting your state tax dollars to CFEF. Click here to make a donation.

CFEF will also receive an appropriation from the state of Utah. Funds not used for the legacy Carson Smith program will be transferred to CFEF for the new Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship program. All excess funding not allocated in the current year legacy program, will be transferred to CFEF, along with additional appropriated funds, which will allow additional funds for students on our waiting list.

IMPORTANT DATES

Continuing student re-enrollment opens: February 7, 2025

Current student Re-enrollment closes: April 30, 2025

Open application for all others February 3, 2025
Open application closes: April 30, 2025
Applicants will be notified of scholarship status by June 30, 2025

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for a scholarship under the Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship Program, a student must meet all of the following requirements:

The student and the student’s custodial parent or legal guardian must reside within the State of Utah throughout the entire school year.
The student must have a qualifying disability as defined under the federal Individual with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). The disability must be verified within the prior 36 months by one of the following documents:

a. Individual Education Plan (IEP)
b. Assessment Team Member Record (ATMR)
c. Multidisciplinary Team Evaluation (MDT)

3. The student must be eligible to participate in preschool or kindergarten through grade 12 in public school.

4. The student must not be attending public or charter school when the scholarship is awarded. An application can be submitted while a student is enrolled in public school, but before the award can be received, the student must have unenrolled from public school and have been accepted at a private school or declared to be homeschooled.

5.The student cannot receive the legacy Carson Smith scholarship or the Utah Fits All scholarship in the same year of this scholarship.

Have additional questions about the application process? Please review our comprehensive Application Guide below.

Participating Private Schools

CFEF is currently partnered with over 80 schools across the state that have been approved by the Utah State School Board (USBE) to receive students awarded with the Special Needs Opportunity Scholarship.

Scholarship Award Estimates

CFEF approved applicant scholarship amounts are awarded based on financial need. To learn more about award amounts, click below to view our complete award estimates.